Welcome to Anna's Music Spot!
I love sharing music with friends, so I’m glad you’re here.
If you’ve read one of my books from the Once Upon a Masterpiece series and you’re visiting this website, then you’re probably eager to hear the music. Below you’ll find links to my favorite recordings. Some are available for free on YouTube. Others can be found on streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music. Because I like to download music and buy CDs, I’ve also included options for that. Enjoy!
If you have a favorite recording you’d like to tell me about, I’d love to hear from you. You can email me your recommendations.
Happy listening!
Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition
Haydn's Farewell Symphony
Bach's Goldberg Variations
Beethoven's Heroic Symphony
Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite
Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition
There are many wonderful performances of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. I have two favorite performances of the original piano version. First is Evgeny Kissin’s, because he has so much energy and spirit. He doesn't miss a single note, and every phrase is crisp and clear. My other favorite performer is Vladimir Ashkenazy, who plays the work as I imagine Mussorgsky himself performed it. Ashkenazy also composed an orchestral version of Pictures at an Exhibition that’s close in spirit to the original piano version. That said, Maurice Ravel's orchestration is a masterpiece, too. I have included links to various performances of both the piano and orchestral versions.
To stream:
National Youth Orchestra, conducted by David Robertson (orchestral version created by Maurice Ravel)
I especially enjoy watching this performance on YouTube, because all the musicians are teenagers!
Tracks 1–6 are Vladimir Ashkenazy performing the original piano version, and tracks 7–12 are the orchestral version created by Vladimir Ashkenazy.
Evgeny Kissin, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (original piano version)
To download:
Tracks 1–6 are Vladimir Ashkenazy performing the original piano version, and tracks 7–12 are the orchestral version created by Vladimir Ashkenazy.
Evgeny Kissin, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (original piano version)
Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Herbert von Karajan (orchestral version created by Maurice Ravel)
To purchase the CD:
You can always check with the closest store to you that carries CDs—many can place custom orders for you. Or you can purchase CDs online.
Tracks 1–6 are Vladimir Ashkenazy performing the original piano version, and tracks 7–12 are the orchestral version created by Vladimir Ashkenazy.
Evgeny Kissin, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (original piano version)
Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Claudio Abbado (orchestral version created by Maurice Ravel)
Haydn’s Farewell Symphony
I remember performing Haydn’s Symphony No. 45 (The Farewell Symphony) as a teenager. I played cello in the local youth orchestra. It is such a fun piece to play. Haydn had a great sense of humor! There are literally hundreds of recordings available. My favorite version of all time is the one conducted by Christopher Hogwood and performed by the Academy of Ancient Music. This is the recording I listened to when writing the book Haydn’s Farewell Symphony. But there are lots of great recordings. I also enjoy the performances of Sir Charles Mackerras conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and Fritz Lehmann conducting the Berlin Philharmonic.
To stream:
To download:
To purchase the CD:
You can always check with the closest store to you that carries CDs—many can place custom orders for you. Or you can purchase CDs online.
Bach’s Goldberg Variations
One day I heard a dear friend, John Kamitsuka, practicing Bach’s Goldberg Variations for an upcoming recital. I was mesmerized, and I wondered who Goldberg was and why Bach’s music carried his name. That’s how I came to write this book. I love John’s recording of the Goldberg Variations, so I’ve included it here. Bach wouldn’t have heard his music played on the piano, which hadn’t been invented yet. He had the harpsichord in mind. It’s a keyboard instrument that looks a bit like a piano, but as you’ll hear, sounds markedly different. Wanda Landowska was the first to record the Goldberg Variations on harpsichord. Glenn Gould made the variations an international hit when he recorded them on the piano in the 1950s. Most recently, I discovered a recording by Keith Jarrett, a jazz pianist. His recording of the Goldberg Variations on harpsichord shows that he has classical chops as well.
To stream:
Glenn Gould on piano
Lars Vogt on piano
Glenn Gould on piano
Glenn Gould on piano
Lars Vogt on piano
Glenn Gould on piano
To purchase the CD:
You can always check with the closest store to you that carries CDs—many can place custom orders for you. Or you can purchase CDs online.
Sophia Gilmson on harpsichord
Glenn Gould on piano
Beethoven’s Heroic Symphony
Beethoven holds a special place in my heart. Like many musicians, I am deeply touched by his music. Of the hundreds of works Beethoven composed, his Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, called “Eroica” (the “Heroic”) has always helped me when I’m feeling down or struggling with a creative project. Beethoven broke a lot of composition rules with this symphony. Perhaps that’s why it feels so exciting and expansive. Some conductors choose a quick tempo. Others prefer a more reserved pace. I enjoy listening to various performances and comparing how each conductor makes the work his/her own. Here are a few of my favorites. Perhaps they will inspire you to seek out others.To watch:
To stream:
This is brilliant, and the performers are conservatory students.
New York Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Bernstein
To download:
On this recording the musicians are performing on historic instruments.
New York Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Bernstein
Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Herbert von Karajan
To purchase the CD:
You can always check with the closest store to you that carries CDs—many can place custom orders for you. Or you can purchase CDs online.
Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Herbert von Karajan
New York Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Bernstein
Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite
I started taking jazz piano lessons a few months ago (you’re never too old to learn), and the first piece my teacher gave me was Duke Ellington’s “C Jam Blues.” Check that one out here. I’ll never play it the way Ellington did. But that doesn’t matter. I’m still having tons of fun! And that’s what the Nutcracker Suite is all about . . . FUN! When Ellington joined forces with his best friend, Billy Strayhorn, they turned Tchaikovsky’s traditional ballet music into a swinging modern masterpiece. But I’ll let Ellington tell you himself—here’s a short film he made in 1960 about his Nutcracker Suite. You even get to see and hear his famous orchestra play! In 1996, choreographer Donald Byrd and composer David Berger turned the music by Ellington and Strayhorn into a fully-staged ballet called The Harlem Nutcracker. Here’s a CBS news story about the production. The Duke Ellington Orchestra made only one recording of the Nutcracker Suite, so in the links that follow, I offer various ways you can access that single, historic recording.
To stream:
Listen to Nutcracker Suite in its entirety.
To download:
To purchase the CD:
You can always check with the closest store to you that carries CDs—many can place custom orders for you. Or you can purchase CDs online.
Best Buy
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